Milwaukee @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 20, 2017 ) Washington 99, Milwaukee 88

The Milwaukee Bucks have been playing pretty good basketball of late, as long as they are not facing the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks will try to recover from another rout at the hands of the Raptors when they visit the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Milwaukee is 3-2 in its last five games but it has allowed an average of 130 points in a pair of setbacks against Toronto, with Friday's 129-110 loss matching the Bucks' most lopsided home defeat of the season. "When they turned it up, we kind of took a step back. We have to match that energy," coach Jason Kidd told reporters after his team was outscored 43-19 in the third quarter. The Wizards have matched their longest winning streak of the season at four after hanging on for a 102-100 victory at Memphis on Friday. The meeting with the Bucks marks the opener of a season-high, five-game homestand for Washington, which is 13-6 and has won five straight at Capital One Arena.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE BUCKS (20-17): Giannis Antetokounmpo was the leading vote-getter in the first release of All-Star voting and he displayed his outstanding all-around game with 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in Friday's loss. Khris Middleton has provided some solid support much of the season but he was held to 11 points, his lowest total since Nov. 25. Those two were part of a starting five that was outrebounded 29-12.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (23-16): Friday offered up a vintage performance for Washington's outstanding backcourt, with Bradley Beal scoring 34 points and John Wall finishing with 25 points, nine assists and four steals. Beal is averaging 33.3 points over his last three games and Wall has put up 25 in his first two games of January after scoring 15 per game in an injury-plagued December. While the star guards are heating up, forward Otto Porter Jr. has made 8-of-26 shots during a three-game swoon and he left Friday's win with a hip strain.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wizards F Markieff Morris tied a career high with 17 rebounds against Memphis.

2. Bucks G Malcolm Brogdon has shot better than 50 percent from the field in six consecutive games.

3. Beal scored 23 points to lead Washington to a 99-88 win at Milwaukee in the first meeting this season.

PREDICTION: Wizards 101, Bucks 95